Patek Philippe 18K yellow gold Ellipse men’s wristwatch. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Michaan’s Auctions. ALAMEDA, Calif. – Michaan’s March Estate Auction will be offering a wide range of property from estates, private collections and institutions throughout the United States. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding for the March 6 auction, which begins at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Jewelry opens the sale with natural jadeite jade pendants and bracelets as well as various multi-gemstone pieces. A selection of both women’s and men’s fine wristwatches will also be available. The marquee item is lot 237, an exceptional Patek Philippe 18k yellow gold Ellipse men’s wristwatch with an oval, blue dial and applied gold baton hour markers and hands and a movement containing 18 jewels (estimate: $4,000-$6,000).
Fine art highlights include sculptures, photographs and graphics with strong examples of American and European landscapes. One such landscape painting is lot 733, Tomales Point by artist Ray Strong, circa 1937 (estimate: $3,500-$5,500).
Asian Art will be showcasing Chinese porcelains, jade and ivory carvings, paintings and furniture as well as Japanese and Southeast Asian works of art such as Vietnamese porcelains from Hoi-An Hoard.
Lot 367, a painted ivory figural group, is a beautiful example of detailed Chinese craftsmanship that depicts a celestial being with a child upon jagged rockwork with lush flowering plants. This 10 1/2-inch-high figural group has a $900-$1,300 estimate.
Strong had been a landscape painter, muralist and poet since he was just 8 years old. His landscapes are among the best representations of the California coast and Oregon. As a founding member of the Oak Group, Strong influenced an entire generation of painters in Santa Barbara County.
The Furniture and Decorative Arts section of this sale offers silver, rugs and carpets, glassware, porcelains, figurines and American and European furniture. Lot 433 is a Sheffield-plate covered tureen, which should also be of great interest to bidders (estimate: $300-$400).
For details contact Michaan’s Auctions at www.michaans.com or call 800-380-9822.
The newly issued Ronald Reagan "Forever" stamp commemorating the late President’s centennial year. Image courtesy of The United States Postal Service.
SIMI VALLEY, CA — Considered one of the most influential presidents of the 20th century, Ronald Reagan, America’s 40th president, has been honored with the issuance of a commemorative Forever Stamp in celebration of the centennial year of his birth.
“Ronald Wilson Reagan was one of a kind,” said James C. Miller, III, member, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service. “And it is right that we celebrate his life and legacy with constant reminders attached to millions of letters arriving at homes all across America.”
The Feb. 10, 2011 stamp-launch ceremony, which was held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, is one of many Reagan centennial events planned to take place across the nation in 2011.
The stamp art by Bart Forbes of Plano, Texas, was created in oil wash on board. It is based on a photograph of Reagan taken in 1985, during his second term as president, at his beloved Rancho del Cielo (Ranch in the Sky), near Santa Barbara, California.
Distinguished by his charisma and oratorical skills, Reagan was an accomplished Hollywood actor who appeared in more than 50 films before becoming a prominent political leader. He often is credited with bolstering the conservative movement in America, moving it from the margins to the mainstream of politics and government.
When Reagan left office in January 1989, he and former First Lady Nancy Reagan returned to California. Later that year, Communist East Germany opened its borders — including the Berlin Wall — to the West. This momentous event occurred less than two and a half years after Reagan’s famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate, in which he boldly challenged his counterpart in the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to “tear down this wall!”
Joining Miller to dedicate the Ronald Reagan commemorative Forever Stamp were Mickey D. Barnett, member, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service; Robert Tuttle, former ambassador to the Court of St. James’s and member, Board of Trustees, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation; and Joanne Drake, chief administrative officer, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers may obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They should purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24; then affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:
Ronald Reagan Stamp
Postmaster
2551 N. Galena Ave.
Simi Valley, CA 93065-9998
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by April 11, 2011.
How to Order First-Day Covers:
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
P.O. Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Visit the US Postal Service website at www.usps.gov.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The newly issued Ronald Reagan "Forever" stamp commemorating the late President’s centennial year. Image courtesy of The United States Postal Service.
An authorized dealer sign for Airstream travel trailers. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers and Kimball M. Sterling Inc., Auctioneer and Appraiser. ELKHART, Ind. (AP) – The recreation vehicle hall of fame is facing financial problems.
The Elkhart Truth reports the RV/MH Hall of Fame & Museum is facing a severe financial shortfall that may force it to close. Hall executive director Tom McNulty told the newspaper the hall has financial problems, but officials believe they have some solutions.
Thor Motor Coach president Bill Fenech says that hall officials must present a solid, logical business plan if it wants the RV industry to help. He says an emotional appeal or a plan with “pie in the sky numbers” will not persuade RV manufacturers, suppliers and dealers to give financial backing.
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Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.etruth.com
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
President Barack Obama seated behind the original Resolute Desk. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Virtual president’s desk enlivens Kennedy’s desk
BOSTON (AP) – As a little girl, Caroline Kennedy hung out at her father’s desk while he worked in the country’s most famous office. Now the library she works with to preserve her father’s memory is introducing a way anyone can sit – virtually – at John F. Kennedy’s desk and learn more about his life and administration.
The Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston has unveiled a new online feature, The President’s Desk.
The interactive desktop has numerous objects Web visitors can click – a telephone, a campaign button, a secret recording button – and get video, audio and text from JFK’s era, she said.
“I hope users will feel they are sitting at the president’s desk themselves and will be excited to bring history to life in this dynamic setting,” said Caroline Kennedy, president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. “My parents shared a love of history, and I know they would have enjoyed this exhibit themselves.”
The online feature was introduced in front of a replica of the desk.
The original desk was made from the timbers of the British ship the HMS Resolute and was given to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1878. Still used by President Barack Obama, the original desk was in the White House broadcast room until JFK’s wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, discovered it and had it installed in the Oval Office in February 1961.
The virtual version has seven clickable objects, each of which holds various layers of information.
Clicking the telephone, for instance, pulls up a list of recorded conversations, and a user can listen to the president talk to his brothers Robert Kennedy and Edward Kennedy.
The campaign button reveals a picture of his campaign headquarters and video from his run for office.
Hitting the secret recording button gives access to transcripts and sound from high-level discussions on the Cuban missile crisis and Vietnam.
Other objects hold information about Kennedy’s family, his military service and his love of the sea.
The President’s Desk can be found at JFKLibrary.org.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-CS-02-21-11 1001EST
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
President Barack Obama seated behind the original Resolute Desk. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.Caroline Kennedy visits her father in the Oval Office. Image courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.
This forensic recreation of George Washington at age 45 is on display at the ‘Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon’ exhibit. Researchers studied Washington’s waistcoat and breeches on loan from the Smithsonian to determine proportions. Hair color is based on samples in the collection of Mount Vernon. Image by RadioFan. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A day after a fierce winter storm swept through the region, “Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon” opens at the Minnesota History Center.
The exhibit includes a 1798 portrait of the nation’s first president, a film and a timeline with detailed information about his life.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press says it will include 100 objects from Washington’s home, including his dentures, Bible, dishes and weapons.
The history center is also hosting a family day on Feb. 27 in conjunction with the Washington exhibit. Visitors will enjoy reduced admission fees, games, actors in historical costume and music.
Founded in 1849, the nonprofit historical center is aims to teach about Minnesota’s past using exhibits, collections, books, educational programs and more.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
